The Legend of Bigfoot. T. S. Mart

      Cougar and Bigfoot, apex predators of the Pacific Northwest.

      Sounds associated with Bigfoot include whistles, grunts, howls, screams, whoops, and terrifying noises that aren’t typical of known wildlife. Researchers believe these noises might represent communication between the creatures. Others have heard stick breaks, thumps, vibrations, and knocks, which they theorize is a Bigfoot banging a stick against a tree or another object. They have also recorded softer cooing sounds, perhaps an affectionate exchange that provides social bonding.

      “X” structure. Photograph taken by Rick Reles, North Carolina BFRO investigator. Used with permission.

      Many individuals who experience firsthand encounters with Bigfoot speak of a rank odor. Could this be a chemical communication in which Bigfoot releases pheromones to mark his territory, exert dominance, or offer a warning?

      The last method of animal communication occurs through physical contact. Social grooming is an important way to bond among many animal species, primates in particular. Hitting, slapping, and kicking are also effective ways to send a message, but no one has gotten close enough to observe the social dynamics of Bigfoot. However, people in the vicinity of Bigfoot report having had rocks lobbed or thrown in their direction. As these come from an unknown source, researchers believe this might be the animal’s attempt at saying hello, offering a warning, or expressing their curiosity.

       Animals Adapt to Their Environments

      Let’s take bears as an example. There are several varieties, most able to interbreed. Because of location, environmental influence, and adaptation through natural selection, bears vary by region. Perhaps it’s the same with Bigfoot. Cast footprints show three-, four-, and five-toed footprints. People report seeing different colors and lengths of fur. If Bigfoot is an animal, then he possesses the ability to adapt within different environments.

       Animals Form Hunting Patterns Based on Diet

      All animals eat to live. While design, technique, and diet vary, carnivores typically hunt meat. These animals are classified by either how much meat they eat or what type of meat they prey on. Their bodies are not as well equipped to digest plant matter and require the nutrition found in large animals like deer and elk and smaller insects, like grubs and ants.

      Possessing keen eyesight and smell, carnivores hunt by ambushing or trapping prey. Typically strong and fast, they are designed with claws, strong jaws, and long, sharp teeth that help them grab and rip apart their prey.

      Herbivores are animals that eat plants. They spend much of their life grazing or browsing for food. Designed with wide molars and strong jaws, these animals chew and grind fibrous plant material. They also have a more complex digestive system. Some herbivores, like gorillas and the Japanese macaque, also have strong, sharp teeth designed for fighting, not feeding. This might account for why some individuals have seen fangs on the Bigfoot they encountered.

      Omnivores eat plants and meat. It’s thought Bigfoot may fall into this category. Because of his size and muscle mass, he likely requires large amounts of protein. But during the Six Rivers National Forest Expedition of 1997 and the BFRO Expedition of 2000, researchers think Bigfoot took fruit from bait stations and oatmeal packets from a researcher’s backpack (see chapter 4 for more details). Beyond this, no one has observed Bigfoot hunting or catching food.

       Animals Live to Procreate

      As animals mature, they instinctually seek a mate. If we presume Bigfoot is an animal, then he would do the same, potentially leaving the forested hills or the confinements of his territory. What if he mistook a human for another Bigfoot because of the similarities in size and movement? Would he wander in close for a better look? Occasionally, hunters and investigators find multiple sets of footprints, which leads to the speculation of family groups. In most cases, however, they find only one set of footprints.

      The macaque’s diet consists of fruit, plants, insects, and small rodents. His intimidating canines are for fighting not eating. ©Susan Flashman/ Shutterstock Photo.

       Animals Use Their Habitats to Create a Home

      Within habitats animals build homes that accommodate their design and purpose. A bird builds a nest carefully designed to hold her fragile eggs; a bear finds a den to serve as a safe place to hide her vulnerable cubs. A spider builds a web that allows it to hunt without leaving its home. Cougars use an outcropping of rocks or a dense thicket to hunt. This is the same habitat in which a deer will live in to eat, hide its young, and prepare for a quick escape through tangled brush.

      If Bigfoot, like most animals, live to protect their young, then they would stay in habitats that offer shelter, food, and protection—caves, thickly forested areas, and rock outcroppings near a fresh water source.

      Bigfoot researchers and cryptozoologists believe Bigfoot is out there, potentially in large numbers, scattered across the country. It’s mentioned within the arena of Bigfoot investigation that not all reports are of the same creature. However, if scat samples, recordings, and cast footprints are valid, then Bigfoot is a large, bipedal creature that is strong and has keen sensory perception. He possesses the ability to hunt and kill but also forage. In rare instances, records show Bigfoot has interacted with humans but otherwise remains hidden, adapting to whatever environment he lives in.

      BIGFOOT AND THE SUPERNATURAL

      For various reasons, many people disregard the animal theory yet believe Bigfoot is very real. Evidence that prompts this belief centers on the number of eyewitness accounts without the existence of a body. How has this creature been able to avoid captivity for so many years?

       Infrasound—The Fear Frequency

      Some researchers believe Bigfoot possesses the ability to emit infrasound, a low frequency sound wave beneath the normal limit of human hearing. Infrasound travels over long distances, passing through dense forests, buildings, and even mountains. The lower the frequency, the farther the sound can travel.

      Elephants use infrasound to communicate over many miles. This function is necessary for their survival, as the sound waves allow them to locate one another for reproductive purposes and to avoid dangers. Elephants don’t just hear with their ears; they can “hear” or perceive vibrations with their foreheads and their feet. Earthquakes and tsunamis are generators of infrasound. Long before a storm hits their area, elephants will “hear” the infrasound waves. Sensing the oncoming danger, they run for higher ground.

      Tigers also possess infrasound capabilities. Bioacousticians are scientists who study the pitch, volume, and duration of animal sounds to learn about their behavior. A study published in a 2000 article by ScienceDaily identified that tigers have an ability to not only intimidate their prey (which includes humans) with their roar but also paralyze them.

      FUN FACT: To humans, giraffes appear to be silent animals, but scientists have discovered they communicate with their young using moans and grunts at a frequency humans cannot hear.

      Beyond the paralyzing effects of a tiger, infrasound can have a range of negative effects on a person, including nausea, feelings of dread or panic, memory loss, emotional distress, hallucinations, blurred vision, and even loss of consciousness.

      According to a 2003 article in the Sydney Morning Herald, British scientists conducted a controlled experiment at a London concert in which they played music containing infrasound produced by an extralow bass. They mixed in pieces without the added infrasound, then asked participants to describe their reactions to the different scores. A variety of abnormal feelings—anxiety, sorrow, and chills—were identified to coincide with the infrasound-infused music.

      The US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health published studies in 2003 and 2005 on how low frequency noise affects functionality in humans. Findings